Day: July 11, 2011

I am going to use that as my first paragraph simply because I am amazed by this story. Sure, I know being a full bird has some juice. I know that being a wing commander is kinda cool and well, the world does revolve around you somewhat or at least at your base, but borrowing an F-16?

Wow.

The investigation concluded Smiley accumulated excessive comp time and converted it into flight training time, for which he received nearly $96,000. The IG also found that he used government property — an F-16 — to visit family several times in 2006; neglected to conduct a semiannual climate survey of the unit for three years while he was installation commander; and improperly coerced his officers to join the National Guard Association of the United States.

I know all your flyboys and fighter jocks are going to get my goat for posting this, saying I thrive on the misfortunes of others. No, I am really just amazed. I wonder at what point did he think, ya know, this probably isn’t such a good idea?

Col. Jeffery Smiley, who has been at the helm of the Montgomery, Ala.-based wing since January 2006, submitted his resignation June 21.

Alabama National Guard officials said Smiley resigned for strictly personal reasons, according to a news report on wsfa.com, the website of an Alabama television station. His resignation comes months after an Inspector General investigation found Smiley had violated Air Force and National Guard regulations.

National Guard Bureau officials would not say June 23 whether Smiley had been reassigned or would retire. Smiley has been in the Air Force for 31 years.

Smiley was investigated during the third year of his command after an anonymous complaint was filed with the Air Force Inspector General’s Office. After multiple investigations, four of eight allegations were deemed to have merit.